World News Roundup: Israel defence minister visits U.S. Navy base in Bahrain; Kremlin accuses U.S. of stoking tension with troop deployments and more

Israel's Defence Ministry said on Wednesday Benny Gantz would sign a security cooperation agreement with Bahrain, which along with the UAE normalised relations with Israel in 2020, partly out of shared concerns about Iran. Kremlin accuses U.S. of stoking tension with troop deployments Russia accused the United States on Thursday of ramping up tensions and ignoring Moscow's calls to ease a standoff over Ukraine, a day after Washington announced it would deploy nearly 3,000 extra troops to Poland and Romania.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Israel defence minister visits U.S. Navy base in Bahrain

Israel's defence minister visited the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet's headquarters in Bahrain on Thursday, part of an unannounced trip amid heightened Gulf tensions following drone and missile attacks on the United Arab Emirates. Israel's Defence Ministry said on Wednesday Benny Gantz would sign a security cooperation agreement with Bahrain, which along with the UAE normalised relations with Israel in 2020, partly out of shared concerns about Iran.

Kremlin accuses U.S. of stoking tension with troop deployments

Russia accused the United States on Thursday of ramping up tensions and ignoring Moscow's calls to ease a standoff over Ukraine, a day after Washington announced it would deploy nearly 3,000 extra troops to Poland and Romania. Ukraine says Russia has built up 115,000 troops near its borders, stoking fears of a looming attack. Moscow denies any such plan, but Washington said on Wednesday it would send extra forces to shield eastern Europe from any crisis spillover.

Guinea-Bissau government says coup attempt aimed to kill president

The attackers in a failed coup attempt in Guinea-Bissau this week intended to assassinate the president and were part of a well-funded and tightly planned plot, the government has said.

It did not say who it believed was behind Tuesday's attempt, although President Umaro Sissoco Embalo has previously suggested it may be linked to the international drugs trade.

One trans woman's fight against a bill that would criminalise Ghana's LGBT+ community

In a dimly-lit room with racks of women's clothing, Ghanaian artist and LGBT+ activist Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi flipped through photo self-portraits illustrating her transition to womanhood. Transitioning is not illegal in Ghana, but it will become so if a new law is passed, intended to tighten already strict anti-LGBT+ regulations which render same-sex relations illegal.

N.Ireland first minister may quit as EU warns Britain over Brexit checks

Northern Ireland's first minister intends to resign later on Thursday in protest at post-Brexit trade rules, the BBC reported as the European Union warned Britain that it would breach international law if it lets Belfast halt some checks on goods. Tensions over the Northern Ireland protocol, signed as part of Britain's exit from the EU, flared again on Wednesday when the British province's Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots ordered an immediate halt to checks on agri-food goods coming into the region from the rest of the United Kingdom.

Hackers hold Hula Hoops hostage in cyber-raid on Britain's KP Snacks

Hackers are hitting Britain where it hurts by targeting some of its favourite savoury snacks, with the likes of Hula Hoops, KP Nuts, Butterkist popcorn and Nik Naks in their cyber sights. The company behind those brands, KP Snacks, has revealed it has been hit by a cyber-attack which could hit supplies of popular snacks. It said it became aware last Friday that it was the victim of a ransomware attack, where hackers gain access to a network and hold data hostage.

Queen Elizabeth's reign: a second 'golden age' for Britain?

Britain will on Sunday salute the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II ascending the throne, but as the monarch celebrates another landmark, just how will her record-breaking reign be remembered? To some commentators, her reign has been a 'golden age', reminiscent of that of her namesake Elizabeth I who ruled over England 400 years ago in what is considered one of the country's greatest periods.

Analysis-A change of style? UK's Johnson fights for political survival

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to shake up operations in his 10 Downing Street office to try to survive his gravest crisis yet over boozy events held at the heart of power during COVID-19 lockdowns. Key to the organisational changes is a promise he made on Monday to lawmakers from his Conservative Party at a meeting in parliament to turn to Lynton Crosby, an Australian political strategist who has helped him before and is respected by many Conservative lawmakers, as an ad hoc "strategic adviser".

NATO says Russia to have 30,000 troops on drills in Belarus, north of Ukraine

NATO said Russia had stepped up deployments to Ukraine's northern neighbour Belarus in recent days and was expected to have 30,000 troops there for joint military exercises this month. The Russia-Belarus exercises, running until Feb. 20, have provided Moscow with cover to further increase forces near Ukraine at a time when the United States and Britain have warned that Moscow may be gearing up for war.

U.S. forces conduct 'successful' raid in Syria, sources believe jihadist was target

U.S. special forces carried out what the Pentagon called a successful counter-terrorism mission in northwest Syria on Thursday, a raid Syrian sources said was believed to have targeted an al Qaeda-linked jihadist. Syrian rescue workers said at least 13 people including six children and four women were killed by clashes and explosions that erupted after the raid began, targeting a house in the Atmeh area near the Turkish border.

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